I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me. For if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things. ~Alma 38:6, The Book of Mormon: the Earliest Text

30 May 2016

Zion is Flat

This has been on my mind lately . . . a journal entry from 2014.

6 April 2014: Zion is Flat

"I keep seeing the same vision today: a host of people, standing nearly shoulder-to-shoulder on a broad plain. There's one person pointing to heaven, towards a deep blue break in the clouds where a ray of glorious, gilded blue-white light shines downward upon him and a little around him in the crowd. While the light and the man it shone on had color, everything else was gray: the clouds, the earth, the people, everything. This person was calling out with all his strength, directing people to seek Jesus. But he stood no higher than the rest of them. He could share the message he had been given from God, and there was nothing but atmosphere between the people and the veil of clouds overhead.

"As I've thought about that over the last little while, I've wondered if the tower of Babel wasn't what I've been taught all my life: an ancient Sky Needle of sorts, trying to pierce the sky. Rather, maybe it was a high podium of sorts to elevate the arm of flesh above reliance upon God . . . to put some men above others, to rule and usurp the role of Savior from the promised One. Building a tower to get to heaven could mean that those people believed that by building unto themselves a hierarchy and sustaining someone they saw as the mouthpiece of God, they could have easy, guaranteed salvation.

"Then I saw that same vision again, with some people amongst the many building skeletal timber structures, like scaffolding without a building, to get themselves closer to the clouds, to elevate themselves and gain the advantage above their fellows on the ground. As if being higher meant the clouds would open more readily for them.

"Over time, as more rays of light pierced the clouds and shone down upon others, bringing them and the grassy earth beneath into springtime color, more of the people standing on the plain began pointing to heaven, crying the same message as the first man: "Seek this Jesus, and He will be found . . . for I have found Him!" The rays of light fell only on those standing on the ground— while the structures, their skeletal form silhouetted by the even gray of the cloud cover, remained in deepening shadow. As the clouds opened to reveal light to those who petitioned heaven, they thickened over those who chose to stay away from the light, who concentrated on working on the scaffolding, refusing to even come and see what it was like in the light.

"When God rises to shake terribly the earth, all of those works of timbers will disintegrate, injuring or killing those upon, around and underneath them, those who carry idolatry in their hearts instead of His image. Only those with their feet on the ground and their eyes trained upward into the light that God shines down upon them will find sure footing in that day. They will have set up nothing above themselves, and so need not fear anything falling on them. And God will continue to rend that cloudy veil and shine more and more upon the people below who cry out to Him. Others who look around themselves will see the evidence of that light on others around them and have a facilitated chance to receive it, emboldened by the testimonies around them. Pressing closer to the places where the light shines, to taste and see the light for themselves, they will learn how to open the clouds above themselves and maintain that connection, that conduit, on their own. As more and more seek Jesus Christ, there will be more and greater clarion openings in the clouds. Some will gather together with like-spirited folk, aggregating both the light and the lack thereof, and yet others will go out into the areas where there is darkness, bringing the torn veil with them to allow the glory of God to shine in that place."

1 comment:

I welcome questions and concerns--they are most often what spur us closer to the truth. I only ask that we all give everyone the most generous benefit of the doubt, assigning the best motives possible. A soft answer truly does turn away wrath, and an atmosphere of Jesus's love is the best for learning, no matter which side of a discussion you're on.

About Me

Married to Vern, and loving it.
Mother by day, Jane-of-too-many-trades by night. I love my family, my Lord, and our little house and assortment of critters. God is Good, and Big enough to handle my problems, and everyone else's, too. I'm so glad. :o)